Hello! My name is Ruth Harris. 

 

I received a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing from Queen's University in Charlotte, North Carolina, and earned my certification as a Patient Health educator and Advocate (CPEA)  through the National Institute of Whole Health located in Boston.

 

As a nurse for the past 34 years, and a health advocate for family and friends through the years, I have found that there are many people who are suffering from disease processes, discouragement or fear about their health, a feeling of lack of control, sometimes confusion, sometimes seemingly endless doctor visits,  and prescriptions.  I have witnessed that health care is often a "sick care" system, where people have come to expect a solution and easy symptom management.   We need to be our own advocate and be proactive with our health.

 

My passion for helping others has been a lifelong calling from God. 

When I was still in college I experienced the disruption major illness can bring into the family with my mother's battle with breast cancer.  I grew up in an ordinary family, four kids, a dad who faithfully went to work every day taking the subway into town, and a stay at home mother who made everything from scratch.  We were surprised, unprepared, and devastated, by her cancer.  Enduring surgery, chemo, and radiation she lost her battle after three years at age 47.  This journey and her legacy taught me so much.  It made me treasure life and good health not only for me but for others, have an appreciation of navigating major illness and the many impacts it has. 

 

As a  working mother working crazy shifts, trying to be supermom,  raise three kids, be active on the PTA, volunteer at school, in the community, and at church, navigating homework, piano, and soccer along with my husband,  I have experienced how stress impacts many aspects of a person.

 I was constantly tired and irritable and worried about getting breast cancer myself.  During this time I experienced a full-term stillbirth of my third child. The unexpected loss of a baby brings a grief journey, that is isolating, and takes time for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.

 

Fast forward.  A few years ago I was introduced to nutrigenomic products. Nutrigenomics is a fancy term that means using nutrition and

( lifestyle changes) to affect gene expression. In other words, while you cannot change the genes you were born with, but you can actually affect the extent of how this plays out with your life.  You can find out more about these products here, but as I started sleeping soundly, having more energy, clarity, focus, and feeling better in general, I started digging into research to find the details of why and how this could happen. Studies about human functioning on a cellular, integrative systems-level, yielded a wealth of evidence-based information about how the body is brilliantly designed to heal itself.  After prayer and discernment and course work, I found the path of health education a beautiful way to help others.

 

You are not a diagnosis.

It is my goal to help you have a better knowledge of your current health and to look deeper into the possible root causes.  

To give you options of tools that will improve your wellbeing. 

To help you develop and implement an action plan.

To look at you from a whole person, faith-filled perspective, considering your unique dimensions.

Finally, to work with you on what you feel is a concern so that you feel empowered that you can indeed be successful in taking control of your own health!

 

I am excited and glad that you are here!! 

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Work Experience:

1985-87: Nurse Aide for senior living communities

1987-1991: Medical/ Surgical Floor Nurse

Georgetown Hospital Washington DC

1991-present: Labor and Delivery/Birth Center OR/Women's Services Nurse and Charge Nurse

 UNC Rex Healthcare, Raleigh NC

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